Ice-creeper.



R. M. MURPHY.

ICE CRgEPER. "APPLICATION mm MAR. 25. i915.

1,18%??1 Patented May 9,1916.

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ETCHAEfi 3E. TIIUBPHY, OT. EASTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ICE- CREEPEE.

Application filed March 25,1915. Serial No. 16,950.

r all whom it an op concern Be it known that T, RICHARD M. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Easthampton, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lee-Creepers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de- I scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to ice creepers. One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved ice creeper, which may be worn as an entirety upon the heel and sole of a shoe, or the same may be dissected and either the heel or the sole portion of the creeper worn if so desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide an ice creeper which is capable of both longitudinal and lateral adjustment for adapting the same to shoes of different sizes.

Another object of this invention resides in the novel construction of the calks used upon the ice creeper, wherein the same are capable of being readily attached to or detached from the body of the creeper for replacing the calks when the same have become worn.

it further object of this invention is to provide an ice creeper which is neat in appearance, of simple construction, and practic-ally inexpensive to manufacture.

T ese and other objects will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is more clearly understood from the following specification, the subject matter of the rim, and the illustrations in the accomnanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invenshowing the same as applied to a shoe. l 2 is a botthm plan view of the invention, showing the novel means to provide for the longitudinal ,and lateral adjustments, and the means for dissecting the ice creeper when desired. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, of one of the alks forming part of the invention, showthe novel manner of securing the calks in perative position upon the body of the device.

Referring the drawings, the forward secti i or sole portion of the ice creeper cons of the toe plate 1, the side bars 2 terating in the upwardly and rearwardly Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 12116.

of the sole and a portion of the -instep of a shoe, and for securing the front section to thesole of a shoe, the straps 5, or other securing means, are provided. These straps have one or their ends secured to the bars 2 at a point adjacent the toe plate 1 by means of the rivets 6, or other suitable securing means. The straps 5 pass upwardly through the upwardly and outwardly extending loops 7 formed upon the outer edges of the side hars2, and the free ends of the straps 5 are then brought over the toe of the shoe and secured together by means of the buckle 8, or other suitable fas toning means.

The rear section of the .ice creeper consists of a heel plate divided longitudinally. to provide the segments 9 and 10, each pro vided with the marginal upstanding flange 11. The upper central portions of the flanges 11 are provided with the outturned loops 12 in which are secured one end 13 of the straps 14, or other suitable securing means. The free ends of the straps 14: are passed upwardly over the instep of the shoe of the user, and secured together through the medium of the buckle 15, or other suitable securing means, for holding the rear section of the creeper securely upon the heel of a shoe.

'The segment 9 of the heel plate is provided with the laterally extending tongue 16 pro jecting from the enlarged offset portion 17 having the elongated slot 1d formed therein. The segment 9 is further provided with the elongated slot 20' which extends from a point in proximity to the slot 18 transversely across the segment 9 toward the opposite side. The segment 'is provided with the laterally extending tongue 21 in the plane of the segment 10, and projects through the slot 18 of the offset 17 of the segment 9. The segment 10 is also provided with the transversely arranged elongated slot 22 corresponding to the slot 20 of the segment 9. Each of the ends of the tongues 16 and 21 are provided with an aperture, and passing through these apertures and the respective slots 20 and 22 of the segments 9 and 10 are the securing bolts 28. The bolts 23 are adapted to be loosened and are then capable of slidingmovement in the'slots 20 and 22 of the respective segments 9 and 10. This arrangement provides for the ready lateral adjustment of the heel plate for fitting the same to heels of different sizes, and after the desired adjustment, the bolts 23 are then tightened to bind the overlapping tongues 16 and 21 firmly against the under surfaces of the segments 10 and 9 respectively and thus fixedly secure the segments 9 and 10 in their laterally adjusted positions.

The forward portions 24 of the segments 9 and 10 are each provided with the elongated longitudinally extending slots 25, to provide for the longitudinal adjustment of the rear section of the ice creeper relative to the front section, shoes of different lengths, which is accomplished by the adjustment of certain of the calks, to be hereinafter described, which calks project through the slots 25 and the apertured ends 26 of the substantially Z- shaped connecting bars 27. The connecting bars 27 attachably and detachably connect of the connecting bars upper surfaces of the and readily replacing for the front and rear sections so that either or both sections may be used, the forward ends 27 being provided with apertures for registering with the apertures in the ends of the arms 3 of the front section, and passing through these apertures are the bolts 28 for securing the front and rear sections of the device together.

The calks constituting part of this invention, as shown in detail in Fig. 3, are constructed with the enlarged flattened head 29, the screw threaded shank 30 terminating'in the sharp pointed end 31. In attaching these calks to the respective sections of the device the same are passed through apertures formed in the respective front and rear sections with the head 29 resting upon the sections, and afterward screwing the nut 32 upon the threaded shank 30 securely against the under surfaces of the sections, whereby the calks will be efficiently secured upon the respective sections of the creeper. It will thus be seen, that when the calks have become unfit for use by wear, the dull calks may be. readily removed by unscrewing the nut 32 with a suitable wrench, removing the dull calks, the same with newer and sharper calks. A greater or lesser number of calks may be used than those illustrated in the drawings if so desired, this being accomplished by either reducing or increasing the number of apertures in the body portions of the device for the introduction of the calks.

From the foregoing description of the in vention and the illustrations in the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided an ice creeper which is capable of being used as a unitary structure engaging the entire heel and sole construction of a shoe, or if so desired the same to adapt the device to.

- shaped to conform to the may be dissected by removing the bolts 28 which. secure the front and rear sections together, and in this event either the sole portion of the device or the heel portion may be used as desired. Furthermore, that by the provision of the overlapping tongues 16 and 21, and the securing bolts'23,"the rear section of the device may be adjusted laterally to fit heels of different widths, and maintained in fixed adjusted position by the tightening of the securing bolt 23. Another advantageous feature resides in the provision of the elongated longitudinally extending slots 25 formed in the forward portions of the segments 9 and 10 of the rear section of the device, whereby when the device is used as a unitary structure the sections may be adjusted longitudinally with respect to eachother for adapting the device to shoes of different lengths, this being accomplished by loosening the nuts 32 of the two callrs 31, which calks in this instance not only perform the function of anti-slipping devices but also as adjusting bolts, and sliding the shanks 30 thereof in the desired direction within the slots 25, and subsequently tightening the nuts 32 of the calks for binding the ends 26 of the connecting bars 27 against the upper surfaces of the segments 9 and 10 for securely retaining the front and rear sections of the device in ad-' justed relation.

While I have here shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, I may make such minor alterations and variations there in from time to time as I may deem expedient without departing from the spirit of this invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

An ice creeper, comprising a front section sole of a shoe and provided with. rearwardly and upwardly extending arms bent to conform to and engage a portion of the instep of the shoe, a rear I section for engaging the heel of the shoev consisting of two members laterally ad ustable with respect to each other and provided gaging the forward side of the heel, upper and forwardly extending arms bent to conform'to the curvature'of the instep of the shoe and having their ends detachably connected to therespective arms of said front section, and lower and rearwardly extending arms carrying bolts for seating in the respective slots of the forward extensions of In testimony whereof I have signed my the members of said rear section for detachname to this specification in the presence of .ably and adjustably connecting the reartwo subscribing Witnesses.

wardly extending arms of said interconnect- RICHARD M. MURPHY. ing members to said rear section, and means \Vitnesses:

upon each of said sections for securing said HENRY WALZ,

sections upon a shoe. FRED L. 'WALTZ;

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Ratemts Washington, D. G. 

